Door hardware is described and, more particularly, a mounting plate for an escutcheon, wherein the mounting plate can be used as a universal mount for securing the escutcheon to different types and models of door hardware.
Escutcheons and associated door hardware are available for installation on either newly manufactured doors or on currently installed doors which require retrofit. Escutcheons are a single piece that is substantially planar, or escutcheons may be configured in a non-planar shape that extends outwardly from the door surface. Escutcheons are attached vertically on a major surface of a door around a latch or lock operator as an attractive trim piece. Escutcheons protect and decorate the area around the latch and lock operator.
Escutcheons are normally fixed through the door to door hardware on the opposite side of the door. During installation, a mounting plate for the escutcheon is initially secured in position by fasteners extending through holes drilled through the door. At least some of the fasteners extend through the mounting plate on the one side of the door and engage in internally threaded bosses cast into the door hardware on the other side of the door.
Other than an opening for a latch operator, there is no recognized standard for the spacing of holes drilled through a door to accept fasteners for mounting an escutcheon. Moreover, the location and size of mounting holes is different for various types of door locks made by different manufacturers. For example, escutcheon mounting plates for mortise locks are different from escutcheon mounting plates for tubular handlesets due to different door preparation required for mortise and tubular lock assemblies.
Because the spacing and size of mounting openings for an escutcheon mounting plate must be matched to the location and size of various mounting patterns, manufacturers are required to make a different escutcheon mounting plate for each lock type. This limits the functional adaptability of escutcheons and requires multiple mounting plates for escutcheons to be inventoried. Alternatively, customized hole patterns may be drilled through the mounting plate to accommodate the door lock mounting holes, but this is often time consuming and difficult, and sometimes may require filling of the existing holes.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a universal mounting plate for an escutcheon for use with a range of locks and handlesets on the market. The universal mounting plate should be compatible with both tubular and mortise locks, as well as exit devices. Ideally, the mounting plate will have openings for fasteners which enable the position of the fasteners to be adjusted relative to existing mounting holes, wherein the adjustability of the fasteners facilitates installation. Accordingly, the new mounting plate will be configured to accommodate different fastener patterns and fittings of the associated escutcheon to door hardware using existing fixing holes formed through the door.